Oz Summer 2012-13 #8

The main event of the Australian Summer of tennis, the Grand Slam of the Asia-Pacific, aka the Australian Open saw Greg awarded a doubles wild card by Tennis Australia on the back of his excellent results in the Auckland ATP event. Viewed by some as a controversial decision, Greg was paired with a young Australian player, 20 year-old Alex Bolt, who had contested the singles qualifying, commendably winning his first round and going dwon in a close match in the second round, 8-6 in the 3rd set. Greg and Alex had not played together and only had a couple of practise session this week prior to the match.
They had dodged a seeded pairing in the draw but were still up against a couple of players ranked in the top 100 in the singles, Colombians 29 year-old Alejandro Falla, ranked 54 and 25 year-old Santiago Giraldo, ranked 64.

Falla and Giraldo

The Colombians won the toss and elected to receive, so Greg stepped up and confidently served to win the first game. The Colombians held and then a nervous Bolt had his service game, unfortunatley dropping serve to give the Colombians a break and a lead of 2-1, then 3-1. The Aussies had a chance to break back but could not convert and games went with serve to 3-5, Greg serving. A few missed shots and the Aussies were broken again, the Colombians pouching the 1st set 6-3.
The Aussie were not to be rolled though, and hit back immediately, breaking Giraldo, holding serve and then breaking Falla's serve to jump out to a 3-0, doubles break lead in the 2nd set. The Colombians responded and broke Bolt's serve to claw back one break.

Greg and Alex conferring

The plucky Aussies were not to be denied though and broke the Colombians again and then held serve to go to a 5-1 lead. The Colombians held serve forcing the Aussies to serve out the set which they did, to win the 2nd set 6-2 and level the match at one set all.

The 3rd set was a keenly contested affair, games going with serve to 4-3, the Colombians with the advantage. Then they forced the Aussies to 15-40, on Bolt's serve and had two break point opportunities. But the inexperience Bolt, playing in his first Grand Slam match, was not to be fazed, serving well to have the Aussies prevent the Colombians converting those opportunities, and holding serve for 4-4. At 5-5 the Aussies had the Colombians at 0-30 but could not make any further in-roads and the score went to 5-6, Bolt to serve to take the set to the tie-break. Nervelessly he stepped up and at 30-30 served two good serves to win the game.

The Aussies got an early lead in the tie-break and then relinquished, then broke again but the Colombians broke back, to change ends at 3-3. Points went on serve to 4-5, the Colombians leading and Greg to serve. He served two beauties and the Aussies were first to have a match point at 6-5, the Colombians to serve. After a short rally Falla hit a shot long and the Aussies had completed a memorable come-back in an entertaining match, winning the tie-break 7-5 and the match 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(5).

The final scorebaord

Greg and Bolt had smiles all round and eagerly signed autographs for some of the young fans. Bolt had won his first Grand Slam match and Greg his third, to advance to the second round of the Men's Doubles.